October 16th

The White House announced that North Korea had disclosed the existence of a secret nuclear weapons program.

Twelve Senate offices were closed when a letter to Sen. Tom Daschle was found to contain anthrax.

Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a Spanish warrant requesting his extradition on murder charges.

Hundreds of thousands of black men gathered in Washington for the 'Million Man March' led by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

First Person to Scale all Eight-Thousanders. Italian Mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, scaled the Lhotse, in Nepal. It is the world’s 4th tallest peak, and it is one of the 14 eight-thousanders – mountains that are more than 8000 meters above sea level.

Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla elected Pope John Paul II.

China detonated its first atomic bomb.

The Cuban Missile Crisis began.

Food and Agriculture Organization established. The Food and Agriculture Organization, popularly known as the FAO was established in Quebec City, Canada.

Mao Zedong & 25,000 troops begin 6,000 mile Long March.

Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio founded.

Margaret Sanger opened the first birth-control clinic in New York City.

Great Britain and Germany sign the Anglo-German Treaty, agreeing to maintain territorial integrity of China and support 'open door' policy called for by US Secretary of State.

Abolitionist John Brown and his men captured the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry.

Battle of Leipzig, largest battle in Europe prior to WWI, Napoleon's forces defeated by Prussia, Austria & Russia.

French queen Marie Antoinette was guillotined for treason.